Meet Me On The Equinox
by iloveyou21210
Summary: Maybe if Peter had someone to love and be loved by, he wouldn't have gone down the wrong path. This is the story of the impact that one girl had on his life, and all the drama, friendship, and love in between. PP/OC, JP/LE, RL/OC. IN PROGRESS.
1. Crushing?

**This is something I've been meaning to write for quite some time, but have been to lazy to start. As usual, the disclaimer. I don't own anything except for my OC, and a few other things. J.K. Rowling owns everything else. **

* * *

Chapter One:

Sirius Black was angry. Very, very angry.

He walked through the Gryffindor common room, seething. He pushed his long curls out of his face and made his way back up to the dorm he shared with his three best friends, James, Remus, and Peter. He walked over to his bed and flopped down on it. He sighed, remembering the events of about ten minutes ago, which his friends were probably in the common room still laughing at.

_The four Gryffindor boys were hanging out in the corner of the common room, being thier chaotic and charming selves. James and Sirius were engaged in a conversation about Quidditch, while Remus read a book, and Peter listened to them._

_Then, Sirius and James heard two very familiar voices. They were the voices of Lily Evans and Calista Paisley. The two girls were best friends, never leaving each others' side. Lily had bright green eyes and long red hair, while Calista's eyes were a midnight blue. They were a color no one had seen before. Her hair was a light brown color, and she had curls trailing down her back._

_Sirius Black had a huge crush on Calista. And everyone knew it, too. Even she knew it. He had attempted to ask her out several times, and flirted with her daily. Remus called it an obsession, but that wasn't true. Not completely, anyway. An obsession would be if you looked at how James treated Lily. Now _that_ was a obsession. James flirted with Lily more than Sirius flirted with Calista. The two Marauders liked to believe they were in love._

_But, of course, the two beautiful girls ignored them._

_"Oi! Paisley!" Sirius called, smirking at her, hoping to charm her._

_She grimaced, then continued to walk off with Lily. James jumped up and grabbed Lily's arm, while Sirius blocked Calista's way of walking._

_"Move, Potter!" Lily said angrily._

_"Kiss me first!" James taunted._

_Lily laughed a humourless laugh, then pused him out of the way. She proceeded to her dorm, while Calista tried to follow._

_"Aye, don't think I'll give up as soon as my friend, Paisley." Sirius said, still smirking. He leaned in to kiss her on the cheek, a daring move for him._

_Calista acted like she was going to kiss him back, but then grabbed him by the hair and smacked him across the face._

_Sirius gasped in pain. Well, it wasn't that bad, but it still damaged his ego. The whole common room was laughing now._

_Calista smirked, then followed Lily._

Yes, Sirius Black was very, very embarrased. And he intented to make Calista Paisley his girlfriend. Or he would probably go mad. If he and James could get those two beautiful girls to love them back, then that would be a dream come true.

And Sirius vowed to make it happen before his sixth year was over. No matter what. It couldn't take that long, it was only the end of September.

* * *

Peter Pettigrew watched as his best friend got slapped in the face by Calista Paisley. He couldn't help himself. He laughed along with everyone else. Even Remus looked up from his book to join in, which was usually a rare event. Remus was always studying.

Peter hardly knew Calista, even though he had shared a common room with her and had class with her for the past five years at Hogwarts. All he knew was that Sirius liked her, she was friends with Lily Evans, she made amazing grades, and did not like Sirius at all. Peter thought that she was a very beautiful girl. Everyone did, actually. Peter stopped himself halfway through his thought.

No, he shouldn't even bother thinking about girls. None of them would ever like him anyways.

It's not that he was _ugly_, he just wasn't Sirius Black. He was smart, he made E's on pretty much every subject. But he wasn't Remus Lupin. He definitely wasn't like James, because James was confident and cocky and ambitious. So, Peter Pettigrew didn't stand out. He was a little above average, but not like his friends were.

So, he didn't even bother with girls.

Calista Paisley was perfect in his eyes. But he wasn't even gonna try.

* * *

Calista made her way into her dorm room, and sighed. It was fun slapping Black. He deserved it. He wouldn't ever leave her alone. And, his annoying friend Potter wouldn't leave her best friend alone. Wouldn't they ever learn that the two girls did not like them back?

"Lils, I'm gonna take a shower, alright? Then we can look at those pictures." Calista told her friend, while rummaging through her trunk for some sleep clothes.

"Oh, okay. I'll go ahead and get started on our Transfiguration project." Lily replied. Yes, it was true, they had a project to start, on the third week of school. It was very angering.

Calista and Lily had both taken pictures of thier summer vacations. They usually went to each others houses alot during the breaks, but they were both going on two month long vacations with thier own families, so, they just took pictures to show each other instead.

Calista stepped into the bathroom and looked in the mirror. Her dark blue eyes were shining and her hair looked great for once. So why did she feel so sad?

She knew why. It was that boy again.

No, not Sirius. A different one.

His name was Peter. He was best friends with Sirius.

Honestly, Calista didn't know why she had been thinking of him so much lately. It had started when they came back for thier sixth year. She had seen him on the train, and she still couldn't stop thinking of him.

He looked different now. For the past five years she had known him, his blond hair had been cropped short and it didn't look right. He had been short and round-ish. Not fat, but just not tall enough to be considered skinny. But now, it was all different. Turning sixteen had changed him, she guessed. Or maybe he improved himself over the summer?

Now, his hair was longer, and it was smooth looking. The blond had turned a bit darker, but you could tell it was naturally light. He had grown a surprising three or four inches over the summer, and now stood at around 5'9" or 10". His friends were about an inch or two taller than him, but he fit in. He wasn't round looking anymore. He was just normal. Not muscular, but normal.

Calista thought he looked great. But no one ever paid attention to him because he was always overshadowed by his three friends. Calista _could not_ have a crush on him though. She couldn't! That would be too strange. Not that she was the kind of person to fear for her own rep by not hanging out with others. It wasn't that. She just thought it was wrong for some reason.

Yet, she couldn't get her mind off of him.


	2. Courage

**Here's chapter two! Yay! I've been planning this one out for awhile. I want to thank Straight Down From Heaven for reviewing and being such a good friend! Thanks a lot! Hope everyone loves reading this as much as I loved writing it!**

**J.K. Rowling owns everything except my OC and other things you don't recognize.**

Chapter Two:

Peter was up in the dorm room, with Sirius, James, and Remus. A Hogsmeade weekend was coming up in just a few days, and they were planning everything they were going to do, just like they usually did. They really looked forward to these Saturdays.

"Oh! We could go to The Three Broomsticks and get drunk off of butterbeer!" Sirius smiled.

"Um, Sirius, you can't _really_ get drunk off of butterbeer." Remus was quick to state.

Sirius ignored his friend and continued to tell them more about what a fun day it would be if they were all drunk. He thought that since they were all only a year away from being of age, they could go ahead and break the rules. That is, until Peter interrupted him.

"Um, guys, I…have to ask you something." Peter said slowly.

He had been thinking a lot the past night. Mainly about Calista. He realized that he really liked her, and even though he probably didn't have any chance in the world with her, maybe he should try at least. Peter knew he wasn't very brave, but he thought that maybe he should just _try_ something for once. So he decided he wanted to ask Calista to spend the day in Hogsmeade with him.

"What is it, Pete?" James asked.

"Err…I was wondering…how should I ask out a girl?" Peter had never asked for girl advice before, because he didn't want to even bother with them in the past. His friends were now shocked.

James busted out laughing. "I'm not laughing at you mate. I'm just shocked! You have never asked out a girl before! For a while, we thought you were gay!"

Peter's face turned red as the other two joined in laughing.

"Who's the lucky girl, mate?" Remus asked.

Peter hesitated. He knew that Sirius would kill him for this…

"Calista Paisley."

It was silent for what seemed like forever. Then, Sirius yelled "WHAT?!"

Sirius jumped up and glared at Peter. The look was quite terrifying. Sirius's gray eyes were narrowed and seemed to darken. His fists were balled up, and it sounded as if he was growling.

"Whoa, calm down, mate." James said nervously, standing up to put a hand on his best friend's shoulder.

"What the hell, Peter?! Why do you even _ask_ a dumb question like that?!" Sirius yelled. Remus had stood up also, and was looking rather nervous.

Peter stood as well, and said, "Well, I mean, uh, she's pretty, and I thought-"

Sirius cut him off. "Thought _what_?! You know I like her! And besides, what in Merlin's name makes you think that she would even _look_ at you?!"

Peter's breath caught in his throat. Had Sirius just said what he thought he said? Peter's stomach seemed to knot up, and he didn't know what to say. But Sirius sure did.

"Yeah, you heard me, Peter! Why would such a beautiful girl look at a disgusting rat like you? You shouldn't even bother! Stay the hell away from her!" Sirius yelled.

Peter chose then to leave. He walked to the bathroom, which the four boys shared. He walked in, shut the door, and locked it. He slid to the floor, and tried to hold back his tears.

Sirius had hurt him badly. What he said was beyond mean. Peter knew he was nothing to look at. He wasn't ugly, as Sirius made him out to be. But then again, he wasn't a god. Peter knew he didn't have a chance with Calista, but Sirius had just ripped Peter's heart out.

Peter could hear his friends trying to calm Sirius down.

"Mate, that was a bit too far." James said calmly.

"I think you should go apologize to him." Remus stated. "It's rare that Peter gathers the confidence to ask a girl out. He took to courage to ask his friends how to talk to a girl, and you laughed in his face."

"You think I care?! He knew I liked her! He's seen my attempts to make her mine!" Sirius was still angry.

"Exactly, Sirius. _Attempts. _No offense, mate, but obviously she doesn't like you. So why not let Peter have a chance?" James asked.

"Because, James! If she won't date _me_, then obviously she won't want him!" Sirius said.

Peter let himself cry. His best friend of five years was insulting him with every word he said. He was glad that James and Remus were sticking up for him, but it was a lost cause. Sirius was livid.

Peter heard the door slam, and guessed that Sirius had left the dorm. Peter wiped his face and looked in the mirror. You couldn't even tell he had been crying. He put on a normal, confident looking face, and turned to the door.

James and Remus knocked softly.

"Pete? You okay?" Remus asked.

"Care to open the door and talk to us?" James said.

Peter opened the door, and Remus put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Don't listen to Sirius. He's a git."

"Yeah!" James agreed. "If you want to ask Paisley out, fine by me!"

Peter attempted to smile, but couldn't.

"Hey, mate, it'll be alright. Sirius is just mad because for once he can't get a girl. I'm sure he didn't mean anything he said." Remus said.

"And I'm sure he did." Peter managed.

Remus sighed. "James here can help you with the whole asking her out thing."

James immediately returned to his cocky, happy self and said, "Yep, I sure can! Sit back and listen to the advice of James Potter, god of dating!"

Peter smiled at his best friend's attempts. "Alright."

"Okay, mate. Tomorrow is Friday, so that means that you have one day to ask her to Hogsmeade with you. She's probably in the common room with Evans right now." James paused to think of his crush longingly. "So, all you do is go sit beside of her, and say 'Calista, I was wondering if you would like to spend Saturday in Hogsmeade with me.' Don't stutter, but don't act too confident either. Smile, but don't look stupid."

James thought for a moment, then continued. "If she rejects you, don't look too sad. Just say okay and then move on. If she says yes, then smile and arrange the meeting time. You'll have to meet down in the common room before we leave. Oh, and don't do anything embarrassing. I don't think I have to classify what those things are."

Peter took all this in, and then nodded. He was ready.

Calista sat in the Gryffindor common room, reading a novel. It was supposed to help her and Lily with their project. Lily was up in the dorm showering, and was going to come down when she was done so they could get started on the project.

Calista had told Lily last night about her thoughts on Peter Pettigrew. Lily hadn't shrieked in disgust like Calista thought she would. Like a true friend, Lily had just smiled and said 'good luck'.

So, Calista had an official crush on Peter Pettigrew.

Calista knew that Peter didn't date a lot. And, she knew that he was shy. So therefore she knew she didn't have much of a chance with him. But that was okay with her, she didn't absolutely need him as a boyfriend. It was merely a schoolgirl crush. At least, that was what she tried to tell herself.

Calista looked up and saw Peter walk into the common room. She stopped breathing, and looked back to her book, not really taking in the words.

"Hey, Calista." A nervous sounding voice said.

She looked up to see him sitting beside of her. She felt her body heat up, and she was sure her face was bright red.

"Oh, um, hey Peter." She managed to get out. "What's up?" She asked. Oh, that was stupid! She thought to herself.

"Well, I was, uh, wondering, if, um, you would want to spend Saturday in Hogsmeade with me?" He said. All this seemed to come out in one word very quickly. But she still understood him.

A bunch of feelings overtook her. Nervousness, happiness, and tons of others she couldn't describe. She had to remind herself that he was expecting an answer.

"I...I'd love to, Peter." She said. Wow, very classy! She thought. She was proud of herself for not stuttering or saying something stupid.

He smiled widely, and his bright blue eyes lit up. "Okay, sounds great! Um…" He seemed to think for a moment. "Just, um, meet me down here before everyone leaves?"

"Sounds great." She smiled. Those feelings were not going away.

He blushed furiously, and then stood up. "Okay, then. Well, um, I guess I'll see you in class tomorrow. Bye, Calista." And then he left.

Calista didn't allow herself to smile and freak out until he was gone, and she was back in her dorm.

She shut the door, and screamed in delight.

"What's going on?" Lily asked, coming out of the bathroom with her hair up in a towel.

Calista ran over and grabbed her best friend by the shoulders. "!"

"Um, what?" Lily asked, confused. Her best friend had just said one really long word that seemed to jumble together.

Calista took a deep breath, and repeated. "Peter Pettigrew just asked me to Hogsmeade with him Saturday!"

Lily's mouth dropped open, and she began to squeal in delight with her best friend. They began to discuss the details of the upcoming Saturday, and Lily started to give Calista ideas of what to wear.

Peter ran back up to his dorm, and collided with Remus. They both recovered, then James and Remus both began to demand to know what happened.

"She said yes!" Peter stated proudly.

"Oh yeah!" James pumped his fist in the air. He had just helped Peter get his first date! He felt so proud of himself.

Peter gave them the details they demanded. Once they had all calmed down and started to get ready for bed, Peter allowed himself to dream of the coming weekend. He lay down on his bed. He was almost asleep when he heard the door open and heard Sirius's footsteps.

He heard Sirius lay down on his own bed. Peter started to wonder where he had been, but then realized that he didn't care. Peter had a date with the most beautiful girl in the world, and he wasn't about to let Sirius Black ruin it for him.


	3. The First Date

**Sorry for going so long without updating. I've had too much schoolwork. Another thanks to Straight Down from Heaven! I need some reviews.**

It was Saturday. Peter had gone through yesterday's classes in a happy daze. He couldn't remember what he learned, or if he had even had Potions yesterday. All he remembered was seeing Calista twice. He also remembered thinking only of her and the upcoming day.

Peter jumped out of his bed Saturday morning, and rushed to the bathroom. He quickly brushed his teeth, and washed his face. He wanted to shower, but looking at the muggle clock Remus had bought, he realized that he didn't have time. Peter slept in late, as did his three friends. It was noon, and the students left for Hogsmeade at a quarter past one.

Peter attempted to do something to his blonde locks. They hung straight down, almost to his shoulders. He guessed that this was a good day for his hair, since it wasn't sticking straight up. After combing it, he slipped on some muggle jeans, and a blue t-shirt that brought out his eyes a lot.

Peter looked in the mirror and smiled. He looked…nice. He just hoped that Calista felt the same way.

He walked back into his dorm room to find James and Remus waking up and stretching. Sirius was gone. Peter had no idea where he could be. James walked over and clapped Peter on the back.

"Wormtail's looking' good!" James laughed.

"Yeah, Pete. Excited, are we?" Remus joked.

"Ah, shut up. You would be too. Get ready, quick! Everyone's leaving in about thirty minutes!" Peter urged.

He waited on his friends to get dressed, and let his thoughts wander off. Would Calista think him to be boring? Would she not like him? Would she think he was trying too hard all day to please her? As he thought more and more of these things, he grew more doubtful of himself. Plus, Sirius's comment two nights earlier wasn't helping him.

Peter hadn't spoken a word to Sirius since Thursday night. It was beginning to make him feel sad. Even though Padfoot had hurt him, he was still one of Peter's best mates. Peter made a decision to speak to Sirius tonight, once they got back from Hogsmeade.

"Oi, Pete. Do you reckon that Evans will go to the village with me, considering her best friend is going with my best friend?" James asked, walking in.

As usual, Prongs' hair was messy, but still looked good. He was dressed casually like Peter, but in clothes that brought out his best features. In James' case, it was his toned chest and arms. Peter's best feature was his bright blue eyes, while Remus' was his sandy brown hair and, according to most girls, his smile.

"Oh, I don't know, Prongs. Perhaps. If you don't act like an overly obsessed git." Peter joked.

James glared, and then smiled too. "I'm still going to try. I think this will be….the…um…four hundredth and thirty seventh time?"

"I got Calista on the first." Peter couldn't help but brag.

"You boys are crazy." Remus said, walking in, fully ready for the long day ahead.

They left their dorm, laughing and joking about random things. Not once did Sirius come up, and Peter was very happy for that. He wasn't really in the mood for it.

They made it into the common room, to find everyone already waiting for Professor McGonagall to come get them. Peter saw Sirius over in the corner, talking to a fifth year boy that Peter recognized but didn't know his name. Sirius avoided eye contact with his three friends.

Peter looked around again, and saw Calista standing near the door, with Lily Evans. James, Remus, and Peter made their way over there. James immediately grabbed Lily's hand. She flinched, and then pulled away slightly.

"Oh, come on Evans, go to the village with me. It only makes sense. Double dates are safer right?" James said.

Lily hesitated.

"Just give me one chance, Lily. Please. One. A double date, if Pete and Calista don't mind having us along." James pleaded.

Lily sighed, and then said, "Alright, then. One chance."

James jumped up in the air, and yelled "YES!" Lily looked away, blushing.

Peter smiled at his friend's success, and then turned to his date. He almost gasped. Actually, he did.

Calista had her curly hair down, and it was curlier than usual. It brought out the blush in her face. She had mascara on, along with some lip gloss. The mascara made her eyes stand out, and Peter couldn't look away. She was wearing those muggle skinny jeans, along with gray high heeled boots, a white low cut shirt with a lace pattern, and a black jacket. She looked absolutely amazing.

"Hey, Peter." She said in a soft voice.

"H-hey, Calista. You ready to go?" Peter asked noticing that McGonagall was calling them out.

"Sure. So, where are we going to go today?" Calista asked, wanting to start conversation. She was more nervous than he was, but she was trying not to show it.

"Well, I was thinking that maybe we could go to Madam Puddifoot's…you know, if you don't think that's too…" He trailed off. He didn't know how to describe that shop. It was done up all fluffy and romantic, for young couples on dates. He'd like to go, but didn't know what Calista thought of it.

She smiled brightly, and then agreed. "I'd love to!"

They arrived in the village, and everyone parted their own ways. Peter noticed James and Lily ahead of them, talking and leading the way. It was weird to watch; usually, Lily hated James. But it seemed that now they were having a civil conversation.

"Where do you guys want to go?" James turned and asked.

Peter began to speak, but Calista talked first. "Madam Puddifoot's."

"Ooh la la." James smiled. "I'm all for that." He said, glancing at Lily. She blushed.

The four made their way to the small, pink shop. It was starting to get cold out, even though it was only a few days until October. Peter shivered a bit, and then noticed that Calista was doing the same. Was he supposed to hold her hand, or what? He was nervous.

Once in the shop, they found a table. Not many people were here, since most people didn't start dating until at least November. James and Lily got their own table, while Peter guided Calista to the only other available one, which was in the back of the store.

Peter, always a gentleman, held out his hand while she sat down. She blushed, and he took a seat next to her. When the waitress asked what they wanted, they both said "butterbeer" at the same time. Once she left, they immediately turned to each other.

"So, Calista, uh…" Peter started, not really knowing what to say. She giggled, and then spoke.

"Let's get to know each other. You know, ask each other questions?" She asked nervously.

"Sounds good. You first." Peter said.

"Okay…well. Do you like Quidditch?" She asked.

Peter thought for a moment, and then answered. "Well, I like it, but I'm not good at it. James and Sirius are, and they're on the Gryffindor team, so Remus and I always go watch. I like doing that. I also love going to the World Cup and watching. But other than that, I'm no good at flying." He realized he had said a lot, and then blushed furiously.

She smiled, and then responded. "I used to play when I was little. My mum bought me a broom when I was seven. Since my father was muggle born, he never got things like that, so he supported it all the way. My mum is pureblood, but with a few muggle marriages along the line, by the way. But, I wanted to play on the Gryffindor team as a Keeper, but I didn't think I would be good enough, so I didn't try out."

Peter smiled, loving her voice. She must think that he was a weirdo, the way he was looking at her.

"My father is pureblood, and I'm quite sure we've had some muggles along the way. But we don't care. We aren't pureblood supremacists at all. My mum is muggleborn." Peter said. Calista smiled, realizing that they were both in the same situation, but opposite.

"I think you should have tried out. You never know, you could have helped us beat Slytherin all these years. It's not too late to try out this year. You should go for it." Peter encouraged.

Neither of them realized it, but their drinks had come over three minutes ago. Calista laughed, and then took a drink of hers. Peter followed.

"Okay…what's your favorite class?" Peter asked her.

She responded immediately. "Defense Against the Dark Arts. You?"

"I'm not really good at anything, so I don't have a favorite. I'm getting E's in everything, but I guess out of all the classes, Defense is most interesting." Peter said.

"I like it because of the purpose. I'd absolutely love to get in an actual fight with a Death Eater." Calista said.

Everyone knew who the Death Eaters were. Voldemort was getting stronger every day, and people kept disappearing. No one talked about it much though, because they were either in denial, or didn't think it was as bad as it actually was. Peter smiled at Calista's bravery.

"I think that too. People think of me as someone to small or cowardly to fight, but really, I'm not." Peter admitted. "I just go along with it, and I don't really know why."

Calista gave him a reassuring smile, and then said, "Well, then, make a name for yourself. You can be anything you want to be. Speaking of, what do you want to do once graduation comes?"

Peter blushed. "I…it's…it's stupid, really."

"Oh, come on. Tell me, Peter. It can't be that stupid."

He sighed, and then said, "I want to go into Auror training. James and Sirius are too, and I think it would be nice for all of us to. But I doubt I could do it, like I said earlier."

Calista was silent for a moment. "Peter, don't put yourself down like that. Honestly, I can see you as an Auror. You'd be great. I just know it. So, go for it."

Peter loved the way she made him feel. She made him feel good about himself, and happy. He wanted to stay here and talk to her forever, but they couldn't. James and Lily were walking their way.

He smiled at her as a thanks for her compliment.

"You two ready to go?" James asked.

Peter stood up and threw some money on the table. He held out his hand for Calista as she scooted out of the booth. As they walked out of the store, they kept their hands intertwined. It felt nice. Peter didn't want to let go.

The four of them walked up the cobblestone streets, and made their way to Zonko's. Of course, James would want to go here. Peter smiled, and leaded Calista in the big red doors.

They had tons of fun in there. Peter and Calista messed with the prank money, the candy, and everything else. They laughed together, so hard that they began to cry. It was the most fun the two of them had ever had. Through the whole time, they didn't disconnect their hands.

Calista noticed that the past few times she had held hands with someone for too long, her hands began to sweat, and it felt nasty. But that didn't happen with Peter. It felt perfect and right. His hands were warm and fit perfectly with hers.

They left the shop, trailing behind Lily and James, who seemed to have had a nice time. By the time they got outside, everyone was already going back to Hogwarts.

When they got back to the castle, they were still holding hands. Calista made her way to the girls' dorms, but turned back to Peter before opening her door.

She smiled. "I had a great time today Peter. Thanks for taking me." They looked into each other's eyes for a moment, and then blushed. She stood on her tiptoes, since Peter was at least five or six inches taller than her. She kissed him on the cheek, and then went back into her dorm.

Peter walked back to his room feeling happy, dizzy, excited, and...thousands of other feelings. He couldn't wait to talk to her again tomorrow.


	4. Friends

**It's been over a YEAR since I've updated this. I honestly don't know why. I'm sorry though. I'm going to try to get back into writing, cause I really like this story and I really would like to finish it. I don't know how far it will go yet, but fingers crossed I'll finish it. (:**

Peter was excited to go to bed, for two reasons. One, he was hoping he would dream about the day he just had. He'd love to re-live it. And second, he was exhausted. It had been a longer day than he had thought, but it had been more than worth it. He couldn't wait for the next Hogsmeade weekend. Hopefully Calista would be willing to go with him a second time. And maybe this time, on their own.

Peter laid down and instantly fell asleep, dreaming pleasant dreams of Calista.

The next morning, Peter woke to the sound of yelling.

It sounded like James and Sirius.

Peter wanted to hear what they were saying without them knowing he was listening. He kept his eyes closed.

"Seriously? Why don't you just stop acting selfish and be happy for your friend?" James asked.

"Because, James. You know why. He _knew_ I liked Calista, a lot, yet he _still_ asked her to Hogsmeade. How unfair is that? And you tell _me_ to act like a friend." Sirius responded.

"Well, it was perfectly obvious she didn't want you. And you _know_ Peter never has the confidence to talk to girls. Calista must be pretty special to him. You can have any girl in this school and you know it. So _why_ go after the one that doesn't want you, but makes your best friend so happy?" James said.

Sirius was quiet for a moment.

"Well?" James pressed on.

"I don't know, okay? I feel bad for everything I said to him. I was angry." Sirius explained.

"I know that. I think you need to apologize once he wakes up." James said.

"I will."

"Are you still going to attempt to get Calista to like you?"

"No. Friends come first." Sirius realized.

James breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that soon all the fighting would be done with.

Peter was still lying with his eyes closed. He almost smiled, but kept himself from it. He was beyond happy to know that soon he and Sirius would be best friends again. Peter hated arguments, and the tension in the dorm was enough to drive anyone mad.

About five minutes later, Peter decided to get up. He made a big deal of it, stretching and yawning. He wanted them to be convinced he didn't hear a word they had said.

"Morning, Pete." James smiled.

"Mornin'." Peter yawned.

Then Sirius came up and sat down beside Peter. James exited the dorm, probably heading to the common room to find Lily.

"Uh, listen Pete. I'm sorry for the way I acted. I didn't mean any of the things I said. Jealousy got the best of me. But, I'm giving up on Calista. She obviously likes you. I need to move on and let you be happy." Sirius said.

"Oh, its okay. I'd be mad too. Its all in the past." Peter said.

"We best friends again?" Sirius held out his hand.

"Of course." Peter smiled. They shook on it.

**Sorry guys, none of Calista in this one! But really though, I'm updating from now on! (: reviews please?**


	5. Secrets

**Wow, now that I've updated once, I'm pretty much addicted! Haha. Review, please? I don't really know the navigation of Hogwarts, but hopefully everything I'm describing is real enough.**

Peter and Sirius left the dorm and headed to the common room, where they found almost the entire Gryffindor population hanging out. It was like this on days with no classes. Everyone stayed down here.

Peter looked around for Calista. He eventually found her, sitting near the fire with Lily. Well, being ignored by Lily. Lily had her head turned towards James, laughing about something he had said. Peter doubted Lily was ignoring Calista on purpose, but Peter still felt bad for her.

"Hey!" He said as he sat down beside her. Sirius walked over to the corner where Remus was talking to a few other Gryffindors.

Calista immediately looked happy again and turned to face him.

"Hey Peter! Got any plans today?" She asked.

"Actually, no. Just sitting around here all day I guess." He sighed.

"Yeah, I'd rather be in class. I mean, I like having some time off, but I get so bored eventually." She said.

"I know. There's not much to do around here." He looked around.

She was silent for a moment, as if she was thinking.

She gasped. "Wanna explore the castle?"

"Um, okay. Will we get in trouble?" He asked nervously.

"Nah, as long as we don't go into off limits places." She stood up. He followed.

The two of them made their way out of the common room, and walked down the stairs. Peter still hadn't gotten used to the moving stairs. The castle was so big and mysterious. No matter how many years you were here, or how many days you spent exploring, you still find something new. Peter had learned that a while back.

He hoped that no one would see them and think they were going off to make out or something like that. Peter had never kissed a girl before, and he didn't have a reputation for being a ladies' man. Calista had a good girl rep as well, yet he still couldn't help but wonder if she had ever kissed anyone.

Even if someone were to think that that's what they were doing, they would be wrong. All Peter had in mind was a nice walk around Hogwarts. Peter had a lot of respect for Calista, and if she didn't want to kiss him yet, he would wait. Even if it was months, he'd still wait. He wasn't even sure if _he_ was ready to kiss yet.

"So, Peter, we never did finish getting to know each other yesterday." She said.

"Oh, yeah, we didn't." He replied.

"I'll go first again. What's your favorite candy?" She smiled.

Peter laughed. "What a random question!"

"Sorry!" She laughed too. "It was the first thing that came to mind.

"Um, really anything chocolate." He answered. "You?"

"Me too! I don't really eat a lot of candy, but when I do, that's what I choose." She said.

"My turn." He looked at her, thinking of a good question. He couldn't really come up with a good one. "Do you have any siblings?"

"I have an older sister." She said quietly. Peter couldn't help but notice something in her voice. It wasn't anger…but more like guilt, maybe?

They turned the corner and walked down a long corridor that led to the 7th year classrooms. If they kept going this way, they would eventually make it to the stairs, then either go upstairs to the Astronomy Tower, or downstairs to the 4th year classrooms.

"What's wrong?" He asked, concerned.

She hesitated. "Please don't tell. My family doesn't want anyone but the Ministry and the Aurors to know."

Peter got nervous then. He was pretty sure he knew what she was about to say.

"My sister Rebecca, she's a 7th year here, she was out one night about two months ago with some friends. They all went back home, and she insisted she would walk. Well, she never came home." Calista's voice began to shake.

Peter remembered hearing Sirius talk about Rebecca Paisley a while back. She had been one of his many crushes.

"The Aurors say she was probably captured by some Death Eaters. They said they are trying their best to find her, but so many people are disappearing, it's hard to do." Then she began to cry.

Peter didn't know what to do. Calista sat down on the floor and put her head in her hands. Peter sat down too and put his arm around her, pulling her close.

She was right, people were disappearing faster than the Ministry could keep up with. No one Peter knew closely had been taken, and he was thankful for that. But he felt so sorry for Calista. She obviously cared a lot about her sister, and Rebecca was probably a sweet girl, who was in the wrong place and the wrong time. Peter would love to figure out where all these people were being taken.

After a few minutes, Calista's sobs became softer, until her tears stopped altogether. Peter kept his arm around her and rubbed her shoulder.

"I'm sorry, it's just…I know the chances of seeing her again are slim. I've cried so many nights over this I can't keep track. My parents and I were on a long cruise when it happened. She wanted to stay home with our dog and hang out with friends. She was my best friend, and she was such a nice person. There's no way she did anything to deserve it, you know?" Calista went on.

Peter only nodded. He somehow knew she wasn't expecting him to say anything back.

"Lily is the only one I've told about this. And now you as well. Please, don't say anything. I trust you." She said.

Peter nodded. "I promise."


	6. Beating Curfew

**Another chapter…looks like I'm not giving up yet (: And again, I have no idea if my navigation of Hogwarts is correct. Do the House Heads (teachers over the House) sleep in the same area as the students? Oh well.**

Later that night, Calista made her way to her dorm. She wiped her eyes for the hundredth time before entering. She didn't want Lily to worry about her. She doubted Lily would think Peter had been mean to her, but she still didn't feel like explaining the events of that night.

Peter had walked her to the girls' dorms, and then he had gone back to his own. Calista had hoped he would kiss her, and he almost did, but she guessed he had decided against it. She appreciated the fact that he would keep her secret. Calista wondered if Lily would approve of Calista telling Peter.

Lily was in bed reading, as usual. When she saw Calista, she jumped up. "What happened?"

No matter how many times Calista had wiped her tears away, her best friend could always tell when she had been crying.

"Peter and I were talking, one thing led to another, and I ended up telling him about Rebecca." She admitted. She almost cried again, but stopped herself from it.

"Oh, Cali! I'm sorry." Lily said.

Calista sighed. "It's okay. I trust Peter."

"That's good." Lily nodded.

They were silent for a moment. Calista didn't really feel like talking anymore, so she laid down and tried to sleep, even though it was hardly eight o'clock. Lily understood her friend's attitude and laid down as well, not taking it personally.

"How was your 'walk'?" Sirius smiled as Peter entered the dorm.

"It was great." Peter replied. He wasn't going to say anything negative. He swore to keep Calista's secret, and he wasn't even going to hint that something had went wrong tonight.

"Are you sure?" Sirius raised his eyebrows suggestively.

Peter glared. "Yes, Sirius."

"Did ya kiss her?"

"No."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Anything else?"

"No."

Sirius sighed. He realized he wasn't going to get any information off of Peter. Little did he know, there was no information _to _get. Peter shook his head.

"Ah, leave him alone, Sirius." James laughed. "He'll tell us things when he feels like it."

"If there's even anything to tell." Sirius laughed harder.

"It astounds me how immature you two are." Remus sighed. Peter appreciated it, even though Remus had a small smile as well.

"Me? Immature? Please." James said, then let out a long burp. He and Sirius high-fived.

Peter sat quietly while his friends had a burping competition. He usually would have joined in, but at the time all he could think about was how sad it was that Rebecca had been taken. No one even knew where. And chances were, she wouldn't be back.

Peter was scared, along with the rest of the wizarding world. Everyone knew You-Know-Who was becoming stronger, but no one would do anything about it. There was hardly anything they could do. The Aurors and the Ministry were trying everything they could to find him, but he was so quick and delusive. Peter doubted that they would know what to do even if they did find him.

Death Eaters were being caught and imprisoned weekly, but then again, many were being recruited. It was hard to trust anyone anymore, and it was only getting worse.

The students at Hogwarts were trying to put it all aside and concentrate on other things, but it was getting harder. Many kids Peter went to school with had been sent back home to be with family, because someone they had been related to had been either captured or killed. The lessons at Hogwarts were becoming harder and more violent, especially those in Defense class.

Everyone knew a war was coming soon. The wizarding world was changing, and people were becoming quiet, and careful to trust just anyone. It was a scary thought, and Peter trembled.

"You okay Peter?" Remus asked.

"What?" Peter said, coming out of thought. "Oh, uh, yeah. Just zoned out for a minute."

Peter could tell Remus didn't believe him. Remus always knew when something was wrong. The two of them had been best friends since first year, ever since they met on the train ride to Hogwarts. Remus knew more about Peter than James and Sirius ever would. Peter and Remus told each other everything, and always had. Peter knew he'd always be closer than Remus than he would be to the other two. Remus was a great friend and had been for six years now.

"Well, okay then." Remus said, and continued to read, even though he kept glancing up at Peter for any signs of…anything.

After awhile, Sirius flopped down on his bed and said "I'm so bored."

"Then go to bed." James said, throwing a pillow at him.

"No." Sirius threw it back. "Let's do something."

He and James looked at each other, then they both smiled. "Like pull a prank!"

Remus sighed.

"Like what kind of prank?" Peter asked.

Sirius thought for a minute, then said, "How about something on Calista?"

"No!" Peter exclaimed. He knew she had already had enough emotional trauma for the night.

"Well, come on. Help us think of something." Sirius whined.

"Yeah, it's only eight something." James added.

"Toilet paper." Remus said quietly.

Everyone was silent.

"What?" James said after a while.

"Did Remus Lupin just suggest a _prank_?" Sirius asked.

"I'll have you know, I can have fun if I want! I just prefer to get good grades, unlike you." Remus responded.

James waved it off. "Whatever. What did you mean by toilet paper?"

"It's a classic. We toilet paper something. I just don't know what." Remus sighed.

Sirius gasped. "The Slytherin common room!"

"For real?" Peter asked.

"Well, yeah. We could cover it in toilet paper. It would take them days to get it all out, even with magic!" James let out an evil laugh.

"How are we going to get down there without a password? And without getting caught by Filch? _And_ not wake everyone up? Oh, and where will you get all the toilet paper?" Remus asked.

"Ugh. You ruin everything." Sirius threw a pillow at Remus' head.

"No, I'm just using logic."

Peter loved the idea of a prank. Maybe it would take his mind off of Calista's problem. It didn't seem like the prank would go by so smoothly, but if he had fun in the process, he'd take the punishment. That is, if there was any.

Remus, Sirius, and James started discussing a plan. It looked like they were pulling a prank tonight. Peter became excited and joined the discussion. Yet, he felt bad. Guilty, somehow. He got the urge to sneak into Calista's dorm. But he didn't want his friends to laugh at him. He didn't know what to do.

"Hey, guys. Uh, would it be okay, if, uh…never mind." Peter stammered.

"What?" Sirius asked.

"You want to sneak into Calista's dorm." James said.

"What? How did you know?" Peter asked.

"I'm a guy in love, just like you. Yet, I don't think Lily would appreciate me sneaking in as much as Calista would appreciate you sneaking in…" James said to himself.

"Go on, Peter. We'll tell you how the prank goes. Don't get caught!" Remus told him.

Peter stood and walked out of the dorm, down the hall and into the common room. On the opposite side was the girls' dorms. However, Professor McGonagall's room wasn't far away. Hopefully, he wouldn't get caught. If he did, he could possibly be expelled. But it was worth it. He wanted to know how Calista was doing. He walked down the girls' hallway, to the door with the sign that read 'EVANS, PAISLEY'. The girls were lucky. Instead of having four people to a dorm, they only had two. That was because they had less space in the dorms, yet they had about twenty or more dorm rooms than the guys had. The guys had four people to a dorm, because they had more space and less dorms.

Peter took a deep breath, and knocked on the door as quietly as he possibly could. He hoped she could hear it.

Calista couldn't sleep. Her dorm was hot and uncomfortable. It wasn't usually like this. Maybe her nerves were just getting to her or something. It was half past nine now, and she had been trying to fall asleep for over an hour.

She rolled over on her side. She heard a strange sound by the door. It sounded like someone was knocking. That was strange. Maybe it's a house elf, or Professor McGonagall, she thought. But even that would be pretty odd.

She stood up quietly so that she didn't wake Lily. When she opened the door, she gasped.

"Peter?" She asked. "What are you doing?"

"I came to see if you were okay. I was worried." Peter replied.

Calista smiled. She was happy to see him. "How sweet. But I'm okay. I just can't sleep."

"Wanna come out to the common room? The fire is still going." Peter said.

Calista agreed. Curfew wasn't until ten, but everyone had gone to bed early because most of them were taking a Potions test the next morning.

The two of them walked out into the common room and took a seat on the couch next to the cozy fire. Calista had been burning up before, but now she felt content. He boldly took her hand.

"So, you're okay?" He asked.

"Yes, now. Thank you, for keeping my secret." She smiled at him.

"You're welcome, anytime." He replied.

They sat in silence for a while, looking at each other. Calista became nervous, hoping he would lean in and kiss her.

Turns out, he may have been thinking the same thing. Slowly, he leaned towards her. She did the same thing. Their lips met, and they kissed for what seemed like hours. Really it was only a few seconds, but it was perfect.

They pulled away and he smiled. They were both blushing. They looked at each other for a while without saying anything, just smiling.

At that time, Remus, Sirius, and James came tiptoeing into the common room, carrying big bags of toilet paper rolls. When they saw the couple on the couch, they jumped. Sirius screamed.

"Padfoot, quiet!" James whispered. "Are you trying to get us caught?"

"Sorry." Sirius apologized.

Calista looked at them for a minute, and then asked Peter, "What are they doing?"

Peter sighed. "They are going to TP the Slytherin common room."

Calista was confused for a moment, then decided to just let this silliness run its course and not get involved. The three boys continued tiptoeing out of the common room, still holding the large bags.

Peter stood up and took Calista's hand. The two of them walked back to her dorm, and stood outside the door. Neither of them wanted to leave each other, but it was almost curfew and neither of them wanted to get into trouble.

"Thanks, Peter, for checking on me. It means a lot." Calista said quietly.

"You're welcome. Anytime." Peter smiled.

"Well, we have class tomorrow. You should sit with me in Defense." Calista suggested.

"Definitely." Peter said, blushing.

Calista could tell he was nervous, and so was she. She let out a small giggle.

"Well, I guess I'll get going…" Peter said.

The two of them looked at each other. Calista loved his bright blue eyes. She could look into them forever.

They both knew what needed to happen next. Peter started to lean in a little, then Calista gathered the courage to close the gap between them. Their lips met, and they kissed. It was quicker than the last, but just as perfect.

They were both blushing. Peter smiled, then turned and walked back to his dorm.

Calista sighed with happiness, and then quietly walked into her own dorm.

It had been a great day.

Peter entered his empty dorm and lay down on his bed. He couldn't stop smiling. For the first time in a long time, he felt like he had it all. Great friends, great family, and Calista wanted _him_. Not Padfoot or Prongs, but_ him_! He felt so lucky.

Peter fell asleep wondering how his friends' prank was going. Also, if Calista was having as great of a day as he was.

**Aw, how cute (:**

**Unlike all my other chapters, I spent like two or three days on this one, even though you can't tell haha. I just didn't feel like finishing it all at once, and I wanted it to be long, even though it isn't really.**

**Reviews please? (:**


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